A Brad Paisley Christmas

• Artist: Brad Paisley
• Rating:
• Release Date: October 10, 2006
• Type: Christmas, Lyrics are included with the album
• Genre: Country

Review

Brad Paisley has made it no secret that he wants to be seen as part of a tradition of country singers, one that hails back through not just through his obvious musical forefathers Buck and Merle, but stretches back to such Grand Ole Opry mainstays as Jimmy Dickens and runs through George Strait, the gold standard for contemporary country singers. So, it should come as no surprise that when he decided to record a Christmas album -- humbly titled A Brad Paisley Christmas -- he followed the examples of his heroes and kept things simple, cutting an 11-track record that captures the spirit of the season while staying true to the sound of his band. Unlike Buck, Paisley didn't write a bunch of new material for his holiday album: he covers a bunch of standards, including Buck's "Santa Looked a Lot Like Daddy," adding a handful of originals to the mix, plus a seasonal variation on his cornpone comedy sketches that traditionally close his albums. It's simple and unassuming, but it's also tremendously entertaining, more so than most contemporary Christmas records. That's because Paisley not only has a sharp ear for picking songs that work for his band, he also lets his band work, giving them the room to turn such standards as "Away in a Manger," "Winter Wonderland," and "Silver Bells" into songs that sound like Paisley and his band -- and on top of that, he's thrown in some new songs that meet these high standards, like the whimsical "Penguin, James Penguin" and the lazy, jazzy "364 Days to Go," which provides the perfect soundtrack to a snowy night wrapping presents. In fact, that sentiment applies to A Brad Paisley Christmas as a whole: it's a sweet, warm, big-hearted Christmas record with more musical weight than the average modern country record -- or, in other words, it has more in common with classic Christmas records, and it feels every bit a classic holiday record itself. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Music Guide

Tracks

Track Title	Composers	Performers	Time
Winter Wonderland (Lyrics)	Felix Bernard	Brad Paisley	(3:31)
Santa Looked a Lot Like Daddy (Lyrics)	Buck Owens, Don Rich	Brad Paisley	(4:14)
I'll Be Home for Christmas (Lyrics)	Buck Ram, Kim Gannon, Walter Kent	Brad Paisley	(4:05)
Away in a Manger (Lyrics)	James R. Murray, John Thomas McFarland	Brad Paisley	(4:47)
Penguin, James Penguin (Lyrics)	Brad Paisley, Frank Rogers	Brad Paisley	(3:18)
364 Days to Go (Lyrics)	Kevin Marcy, Brad Paisley	Brad Paisley	(4:28)
Jingle Bells [Instrumental]	Traditional	Brad Paisley	(3:05)
Silent Night (Lyrics)	Franz Xaver Gruber, Joseph Mohr	Brad Paisley	(4:08)
Born on Christmas Day (Lyrics)	Brad Paisley	Brad Paisley	(4:59)
Silver Bells (Lyrics)	Jay Livingston, Ray Evans	Brad Paisley	(4:09)
Kung Pao Buckaroo Holiday	Brad Paisley, Frank Rogers	Brad Paisley, Kung Pao Buckaroos	(5:23)
[Untitled Track]		Brad Paisley	(:34)

Credits

John Hobbs (String Arrangements), Judy Forde Blair (Creative Producer), Eric Darken (Percussion), Addie Davis (Children's Chorus), Kris Wilkinson (String Arrangements), Bill Anderson (Performer), Wes Hightower (Vocals (Background)), Brad Paisley (Cover Design), David Davidson (Strings), Judy Forde Blair (Liner Notes), Sarah Valley (Choir Contractor), Shannon Love Hartt (Children's Chorus), Steve Short (Assistant Engineer), Kevin Grantt (Bass), Justin Williamson (Fiddle), Kung Pao Buckaroos (Performer), Kristin Wilkinson (Strings), Frank Rogers (Producer), Jim "Moose" Brown (Keyboards), Sarah Valley (Children's Chorus), Brad Paisley (Package Design), Kristen Cassel (Strings), Brad Paisley (Arranger), Ben Sesar (Drums), "Loopy Dave" Willis (Engineer), Allison Smith (Children's Chorus), Mike Johnson (Dobro), Bryan Sutton (Mandolin), Jim Shea (Photography), Jim "Moose" Brown (Organ), "Loopy Dave" Willis (Digital Editing), Brady Barnett (Digital Editing), Little Jimmy Dickens (Performer), Pamela Sixfin (Strings), Hank Williams (Mastering), Connie Ellisor (Strings), Sarah Valley (Choir Director), Bryan Sutton (Guitar (Acoustic)), Brad Paisley (Guitar (Electric)), Neal Cappellino (Engineer), Mike Johnson (Guitar (Steel)), Thomas Griffith (Children's Chorus), Kevin Grantt (Bass (Upright)), Manny Rogers (Vocals), Brad Paisley (Guitar (Acoustic)), George Jones (Performer), John Hobbs (Conductor), Katherine Stratton (Package Design), Richard Barrow (Engineer), Frank Rogers (Arranger), Randle Currie (Guitar (Steel)), David Angell (Strings), Justin Niebank (Mixing), Aubrey Haynie (Fiddle), Drew Bollman (Engineer), Stuart Duncan (Fiddle), Tyler Moles (Digital Editing), Drew Bollman (Mixing Assistant), Erica Haines Cantrell (Children's Chorus), Lori Turk (Grooming)